Parachute apparatus



' Sept. 4, 1934. I H; L.'ADAMS PARACHUTE APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1930 Y 2 SheetsSheet 1 IINVENTOR. .1-1. L. Ad ms ATTORNEYS.

H. L. ADAMS PARACHUTE APPARATUS Sept. 4, 1934.

FiledOct. -2; 1950 2 Sheefts-Sheet 2 EIIIL INVEINTOR.

H. L. Puflams ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATE ur OFFICE" 1,972,813 PARACHUTE APPARATUS Herbert L. Adams, Washington, D. 0., assignor to Irving Air Chute Company, Inc., Bufialo, N. Y.,

a corporation Application October 2, 1930, Serial No. 485,985

2 Claims, (01. 244- the harness is attached to the wearer beneath the outer garment in an inconspicuous and secure relation.

A further object of this invention is the provision of improved parachute apparatus wherein the supporting harness is attached to the aviator beneath the outer garment with certain external connections to permit of either a fixed'or detach able connection of a parachute pack in a more comfortable and better appearing relation than is possible with present parachute apparatus;

A further object of this-invention is the provision of improved parachute apparatus constituting a continuation in part of US. Patent 1,780,104, patented October 28, 1930.

A further object of this invention is the provision of parachute apparatus wherein the garment worn by the jumper is provided with a pouch or container formed in a unitary relation therewith, and beneath which garment a harness is worn by the jumper; the container releasably receiving a parachute and shroud lines.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a rear view of-an aviator showing the improved parachute apparatus in position with the pack closed.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the container of the pack open and the parachute released therefrom with the shroud-lines exiting therefrom.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a type of pack container set forth in my co-pending application above referred to which is formed in preferably unitary relation with the garment worn by the aviator.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of the harness.

Figure 5 is a view of a modified parachute apparatus showing the aviator seated.

, Figure 6 is a front view of the aviator with the improved parachute apparatus of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentarydetail of an adjusting connection for the harness shown in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive.

Figure 8 is a rear view of the modified parachute apparatus showing more particularly the garment and harness as attached to the aviator; the parachute (not shown) being extended above the aviator.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred and modified forms of the invention, the letters A and B may generally designate preferred and modified forms of parachute apparatus.

In the preferred form of apparatus A, shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings, the

aviator is provided with an outer flexible gar-' ment 10, which preferably includes a coat portion having trouserlegs 11 and 12. With this apparatus it is preferred that the aviator wear high-topped boots or leggins 13 and 14. The garment may open at the'front with a conventional slidable interlocking connection. Secured beneath the garment 10 there is preferably provided a body encircling belt 15, which may be located at the chest of the wearer, orany place above the hips. It is provided with an adjustable buckle 16 preferably at the front of the wearer. Longitudinal harness straps 18 and 19 are provided at eachside 'of the center of the wearer, which near their upper ends are riveted or otherwise secured as at 20 to the body belt 15, and at their upper ends are looped to provide shoulder straps 21 which extends over the shoulders of the wearer and are secured at 22 to the belt 15, as shown in Figure 4.- The straps 18 and 19 continue downwardly at the rear of the wearer, below the seat of the wearer and along the side of the legs of the wearer, and at their lower ends are adjustably connected by buckles orother clasps 25 to suitable straps 26 which are securely stitched or otherwise affixed to the upper portions of the leg or foot-wear 13 and 14, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The lower ends of the straps 18 and. 19 are extended through suitable slits or holes 30 in the leg portions of the garment of the wearer, as shown in Figures land 2. The lower part of the garment may be made like knickerbockers and buckle over the lower ends of the straps 18 and 19. The belt 15 on. the rear portion between the connections 20- of the harness straps 18 and 19 is provided with a relatively large coupling 16, which is positioned below the neck at the center of the aviator, and to which the shroud lines 17 may be fixedly connected.

Theharness straps 21 may have rings 21 to enable a pack to be detachably secured thereto.

If they are used they will extend through slits in the aviators clothing.

The parachute apparatus of the form of invention A furthermore includes a container 35, which is preferably unitarily formed with the garment 10. To this end it includes an inner wall 36, of flexible material, which may consist of the rear of the coat portion of the garment, or

which may be securely or detachably afiixed to the'rear of the .coat portion of the garment if desired. The container 35 furthermore includes a flexible bottom wall 37 and flexible side walls 38 and 39' at opposite sides of the inner wall 36.

Continuous with the latter is a flexible top closure flap 40. The wall 36 is preferably provided with longitudinally-extending pockets 41 of flexible material, arranged'in parallel relation soas-to be vertically disposed upon the wearer; the upper ends thereof being opened, as shown in Figure 3, and wherein the shroud lines '17 may be packed in a 'zig-zag bunched relation, to permit an orderly stowing thereof, and an orderly and safe release. The container is open at the front, including a flexible flap 42, preferably permanently connected to the outer margin of 'the side flap 39. It is provided along its free peripheral edge with eyelets or slots 44 which fit over suitable. cones or staples 45 mounted upon an outer marginal strip 46 which may be aflixed to and as part of the The harness straps are preferably permanentlysecured within the garment andto the garment by means of stitching, shown at 47 in the drawings, and additionally the harness straps 18 and 19 intermediate their ends may be suitably reinforced and connected to the seat of the garment by means of loop-like straps 48, since this portion of the garment will receive considerable strain incident to initial shock of opening of the parachute, under some conditions. The shock in the majority of instances will be transmitted .mainly to the lower part of the body of the aviator, which can be readily understood'by those skilled in'this art.

As can readily be understood from my patent above referred to, the shroud lines are tucked in a zig-zag and safely pocketed relation within the pockets 41, and the parachutecanopy folded zig-zag thereover within the container. The flaps 40 and42 are closed to completely encase the parachute and shroud lines, as shown in Figure 1-, and it is to be noted that the flap 40 is provided with suitable openings 50 to receive the'upper staples or cones 45. As can readily be understood the outer closure flap 42 isarranged so that-the cones or staples 45 protrude through the slots 44, and thereafter the top closurefiap 40 is shut, as shown in Figure 1 to enable the upper staples or cones 45 to protrude exteriorly through the slots50. A flexible'wire rip cord 52 is provided, which is releasably inserted through the cones or staples 45, the same being transversely apertured to permit such assemblage in ac-' cordance, withthat feature set forth in my above identified copending application, and the rip cord 52 is suitably provided with mechanism to permit manual or other withdrawal in a manner which will be apparent to those skilled in this art. The'placing of the parachute in the garment pack when off the body will tension the pack the flaps 40 and 42 of the container will be thrown open, due to the compression of the parachute in its packed condition-within the container, and the parachute canopy will be released. As the air enters the canopy .the shroud lines 17 will be pulled in an orderly arrangement from the pockets 41, and when the shroud lines are completely released from the container they will be drawn 82 at their lower ends to'the straps 68 and 69 taut and the aviator will be supported incident to their connection with the ring 16, as is quite apparentQIf desired," the harness may be free of stitching to the garment, and merely secured to the aviator, as shown, within the garment, or it may be secured by buttons or other connections "-type which combines the coat and trouser portions.

It opens preferably at the front from the crotch between the leg portions 61 and 62 upwardly to the neck, by the preferably conventional slidable interlocking type of fastener. The legs 61 and 62 at their lower portions from theknees downwardly to the shoe may be opened by means of a sliding interlocking type of fastener, shown at 63 in the drawings. They may also terminate in anover-shoe in one piece with the garment.

- The form of harness of the apparatus B comprises a body encircling belt 65 which is-provided with an adjustable front buckle connection 66. The belt may encircle the wearer at the waist or above the waist atthe chest. Bear harness straps 68 and 69 extend longitudinally along the wearer, preferably being permanently attached at 70 to the belt portion 6 5- at locations at each side of the center of the back of the wearer. These har-- ness straps or portions '68 and69 extend down wardly along the rear of the wearer and downwardly along the legs preferably at the rear outer sides of the wearer;v having adjustable stirrups 72' at the lower ends thereof which clamp about the shoes or feet of the wearer. These stirrups 72 have an adjustable buckle connection '73 with the main portion of the respective straps 68 and 69, and they are provided with auxiliary straps 74. which adjustably clamp about the foot of the wearer adjacent to or above the ankle, to prevent the stirrups from slipping off the wearers feet.

The harness straps 68 and 69 continue upwardly over the shoulders of the wearer to the front of the wearer and extend through suitable openings 7'7 in the front of the garment of the wearer just,

below the shoulders; terminating in suspension .125

webs or lifts '78 and '79 respectively, which at their respectively, just above the seat of thewearer; the straps 80 and 81 extending forwardly and under the arms of the-wearer and upwardly along the front of the wearer, as shown in Figure 6, and extending through the garment openings '77; terminating in suspension webs or lifts 83 and 84, which likewise are provided with means for attachment to the parachute. The straps 68, 69 and 80 and 81 where they extend through the opening '77 of the garment, are preferably ad-' justably connected together by an adjustable buckle or clamping device, shown at 85 in Figure "I of thedrawings, which consists of .a 'plurality of bars suitably connected to each other to provide two parallel slots 8'7, through which the straps are adjustably threaded, as shown in Figure-11,7, .to permit the parallel overlapping of the-suspension webs, as shown.

The harness is preferablyprovided with areinforcing seat strap 88, shown in Figure 8 of the drawings, which is preferably permanently secured to the seat of the garment, extending transversely' thereacross. Its free ends may be provided with buckles, buttons, or other types of releasable connections 89 with the garment, to provide loops through which th, harness straps 68 and 6C are loosely threaded. Furthermore, the straps 68 and 69 may be provided with permanently secured leg encircling straps 90 and 91, each of which may be provided with an adjustable buckle connection 93, shown in Figure 5 of the drawings.

The harness as above described is preferably detachable with respect to the garment, and the aviator may attach the same upon himself or herself prior to slipping on of the garment. However, it is intended under some circumstances to securely stitch or otherwise aflix the harness directly to the garment along the harness straps, since all of the adjusting buckles are readily accessible. Under these circumstances the cross strap 88 will be permanently secured to the longitudinal straps 68 and 69, but otherwise the adjustting buckles remain the same. The parachute may be made detachable from the harness if desired.

In the parachute apparatus of Figures 5 to 8 inclusive a parachute pack 100 is provided, which is of conventional character, embodying many of the characteristics of the standard form of pack now in use and shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,403,983. This pack 100 includes a parachute canopy (not shown) together with shroud lines 102 which are suitably pocketed and attached at their ends to the suspension webs 78, '79, 83 and 84, by means of suitable D-rings 101 or the like. The container of the pack is of flexible material, and it may be secured directly to the harness if desired, or to the outer side of the garment. It is preferred, however, that the pack 100 be detachable from the aviator, so that the aviator may move freely about without the pack; the aviator placing the pack upon his body when desired. To this end the pack 100 is provided with a suitable body encircling strap 104, which may be detachably connected about the wearer externallyof the garment. The suspension lines 78, 79, 83 and 84, of

course, extend into the container of the pack, and

externally of the pack they are provided with suitable snap or other type of releasing fasteners 105 to enable disconnection of the pack, in a packed condition from the harness. These snap fasteners are shown in their approximate desired relation in Figure 5 of the drawings. It is of course understood that the flexible container of the pack opens from the real, and it is controlled by means of a flexible rip cord106, which extends through a guard housing 107 of flexible nature; the rip cord having a handle 107 at the front of the wearer which is suitably releasably retained within a pocket 108 on the garment of the wearer.

It is to be understood that, in lieu of the backpack, any standard form of parachute pack may be used, such as a seat pack, lap pack, chest pack, or any form of pack; it being merely an essential requirement of the form of invention B that the suspension parts extending from the pack be connected to the portions of the suspension webs of the harness through the snap fasteners 105, prior to use of the parachute apparatus-for jumping purposes.

i It is quite apparent from the drawings that in the form of invention B, due to the adjustable connection 85, the harness may 'be adjusted to wearers of difierent stature, and of course the girth of the harness is adjustable through the various buckles and connections above described.

It is within the contemplation of this invention to utilize the moreconventional type of U-sling harness as part of my invention, placed beneath the garment of the wearer withv suitable connections extending through the garment for fixed or detachable connection with parts of the conven-' tional pack. Such type of harness is shown in the U. S. Patent No. 1,560,366.

It is to be apparent from the foregoing that improvements in parachute apparatus have been provided. Particularly is the invention desirable in that the harness is safely applied upon the wearer beneath the garment in an out of the way relation, and in a more comfortable condi-.

tion for the aviator, since the straps of the harness do not need to be as tightly clamped upon the wearer as for the conventional exterior type of harness now in use. Furthermore, the harness is particularly desirable inasmuch as it may be worn by female aviators and jumpers, with an appropriate external type of garment which need' not-necessarily take the form of the garments shown in the drawings. the teaching of my invention wherein the harness is'securely affixed within the garment and to the garment, an aviator will'be assured of receiving the right size of harness in an already adjusted position for attaching to him or her; the only requirement being for the wearer to know the size of suit which he or she ordinarily takes. This will be extremely desirable for commercial transport purpose, in equipping passengers quickly and expeditiously, and yet safely with parachute garments. i

If desired an air vent and air spill cord crime 110 may be attached to the parachute canopy, either as shown in my co-pending application above mentioned, was used on the parachute of U. S. Patent #1,378,198; the said cord 110 garment of the form of invention B.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the forms of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In parachute apparatus a harness including means to attach the same upon the lower portion. of the body of an aviator and including straps extending upwardly at opposite sides both-at the front and the rear of the wearer and. each terminating in suspension Webs, means adjustably connecting the suspension webs at each side of the wearer together below the shoulders of the wearer, and an aviators outer garment over the harness having shoulder apertures for extension of the suspension webs therethrough.

Furthermore, following 2. In parachute apparatus a harness including means to attach the same upon the lower portion -of the body of an aviator and including straps extending upwardly at opposite sides both at the front and the rear of the wearer and each terminection with said suspension webs.

HERBERT L. ADAMS. 

